Micah Richards Claims He Is Responsible For 'The Worst Penalty Ever', It's A Shocker

Micah Richards believes he is responsible for "the worst penalty ever" and recalled his shocking spot-kick in a Manchester City pre-season friendly.

In 2014, City played out a 2-2 draw with Olympiacos ahead of the upcoming season and were eliminated from the International Champions Cup after a 5-4 penalty shoot-out defeat.

The game took place in front of thousands in Minneapolis, St Paul over in the United States but Richards took a penalty you'd expect from someone playing on an awful pitch in the lower echelons of Sunday League in England.

It's the only penalty we've seen him take professionally and it's enough to let us all know he is anything but handy from 12 yards.

With a truly awful run-up and technique, Richards smashed the ball into the orbit and had his hands on his head in disbelief.

Because of his miss, which was the only one in the shoot-out, Olympiacos sealed the win when their final taker dispatched past Joe Hart.

Richards accomplished a lot in his career ever since he "burst onto the scene" but he's still not forgotten his shocker of a penalty miss.

And on the Match of the Day Top 10 podcast, Richards told the story hilariously when speaking to Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

"It was the worst penalty you’ve ever seen," Richards said when Lineker asked if he had taken a spot-kick.

"It was so bad.

“I was giving it billy big time, wasn’t I? In training, you know training is different. Stanch, putting them in no problem. [Manuel] Pellegrini was the manager.

“So, then we were on pre-season, we were playing someone in Greece. He goes to me, ‘You’re up’. I said, ‘What do you mean I’m up?’

“I said, ‘I’m not going to take one’, and he said, ‘Go on, you’ve been practicing all week, you’re really good at them.’ So, I’ve got up, haven’t I?

“Walking up because I don’t know how to act for a penalty, you can’t be shy but I was too over confident.

“You play mind games. So how shall I act?

“Shall I be the confident Big Meeks? Or shall I be the timid Micah?

“You know what I mean? So I was like, ‘Okay, let’s play the role of Big Meeks.’

“I’m walking up, chest out. ‘I’m gonna put you in the stanch.

“I don’t think I’m just gonna roll it in, I tried to put in the stanch. Just as I was I got - not cramp - it was like nervous energy through my legs – and I’ve hit it and it’s gone about five or six yards over the bar.”

It was the first and last penalty Richards took and reports say there is still a search to find it to this day.

The penalty was quite similar to Kepa Arrizabalaga's one into the Wembley stands in the Carabao Cup but Richards told Lineker his was "much worse".

The discussion on the podcast was about the best set-piece takers and clearly Richards is nowhere near the conversation.

Not long after he blasted the ball into the sky, Richards was loaned out to Fiorentina for the season.

Featured Image Credit: Image: Manchester City

Topics: Micah Richards, Manchester City, England

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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